CCTV laws

Elainypeps

hi , hope someone can assist me, one of my neighbours has a few cameras facing away from their house onto the public footpath and another on the edge of the property facing into the road, possibly getting a view of the neighbours opposite? Is there a definitive law to prevent this please?
TIA 

TELLIT01

Unless there is evidence that they are viewing a neighbours property I doubt they are doing wrong.  My brother-in-law has CCTV and the police have asked him a few times if he has anything on camera regarding incidents in public areas near their house.  On that basis I'm guessing there isn't a problem with the cameras viewing the pavement and road. 

Do you have any reason to suspect they are watching the neighbour?  I don't have CCTV but understand that software within the system can be used to obscure part of the image.  Maybe they are already doing that.

Brie

CCTV is no different than you going along and taking photos.  It might be different if you were standing on a ladder to look over someone fence to snap them while sunbathing - that would be an invasion of privacy.

elsien

Anything in here?
https://ico.org.uk/your-data-matters/domestic-cctv-systems-guidance-for-people-using-cctv/

I’m guessing most people with cctv/ring doorbells that catch neighbours or public don’t pay the blindest bit of notice.
Generally speaking it’s probably more about whether anyone is going to enforce anything than anything else. 

Bendy_House

In general, CCTV shouldn't be covering public areas, at least not unless there's a good reason to. And then there should be warning signs put up.

It's not really 'against the law' to do this, but if you abuse what you record, then very possibly it will be - ie share it or make it public without proper cause.

Often this is mitigated by simply having a system that over-writes itself every few weeks, I think within a month?

If you go on the ICO website, they should have a 'chat' feature, so ask away.

cymruchris

Elainypeps said:

Is there a definitive law to prevent this please?
TIA 

No there's not. There are some general guidelines for domestic CCTV systems, but they are just that - guidelines. If the cameras are pointing into a public street - and the opposite neighbours houses are at the periphery of the image, they aren't doing anything wrong. If the camera was zoomed in to the bathroom window - there might be an issue there. (CCTV cameras in general do not have the capability of reaching a bathroom window from across the road unless you're using a fairly substantial PTZ - and they are fairly big - you see them in shopping centres and large industrial sites)

DB1904

Bendy_House said:

In general, CCTV shouldn't be covering public areas, at least not unless there's a good reason to. And then there should be warning signs put up.

It's not really 'against the law' to do this, but if you abuse what you record, then very possibly it will be - ie share it or make it public without proper cause.

Often this is mitigated by simply having a system that over-writes itself every few weeks, I think within a month?

If you go on the ICO website, they should have a 'chat' feature, so ask away.

Have you just made that up? If it's not really against the law then what prevents it?

The law is about storage of data and not where the cameras face. 

cymruchris

Just in case anyone missed the post above - These are the official guidelines if anyone would like to take a read:

https://ico.org.uk/your-data-matters/domestic-cctv-systems-guidance-for-people-using-cctv/

Most modern network video recorders also have the ability to set up privacy masks should a captured image take in too much of a neighbours property. 

Bendy_House

DB1904 said:

Bendy_House said:

In general, CCTV shouldn't be covering public areas, at least not unless there's a good reason to. And then there should be warning signs put up.

It's not really 'against the law' to do this, but if you abuse what you record, then very possibly it will be - ie share it or make it public without proper cause.

Often this is mitigated by simply having a system that over-writes itself every few weeks, I think within a month?

If you go on the ICO website, they should have a 'chat' feature, so ask away.

Have you just made that up? If it's not really against the law then what prevents it?

The law is about storage of data and not where the cameras face. 

No, not made up Isn't it pretty much what Cym has linked to?

markin

This is bad news for the police who love having cameras everywhere and don't often know the law or care when it comes to catching killers and rapists.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10085561/A-victory-privacy-Woman-100k-damages-neighbours-doorbell-cameras.html

"But holistic healthcare company director Dr Fairhurst" Now it makes more sense, He was stealing her sole.

justwhat

cctv can be pointed to a public space . Only becomes an issue if the use is abused.
Privacy mask should be used if there are privacy issue. But not a legal requirement for domestic properties.

signage should also be in place.

Planning permission is sometimes needed in conservation areas. CCTV also comes under proscriptive development in some areas.(scotland)

I had a 32x zoom ptz pointed at a public/street space , as we parked our transit on the street.